Captive closure cap construction



May 115, 1967 M. B. STULL CAPTIVE CLOSURE CAP CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 6, 1965 INVENTOR. MoMlon B. SMM

United States Patent Ofifice 3,319,843 Patented May 16, 1967 3,319,843 CAIPTHVE CLOSURE CAP CONSTRUCTION Morton B. Stul], Boonton, NJ. Stull Eugrat'ing Co., 221-223 Bantu Ave, Garfield, NJ. 07026) Filed Dec. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 511,593 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-499) This invention relates to closure caps having captive closure members.

The invention concerns improvements in the cap of my Patent No. 3,216,630.

Objects of the invention are: (1) An improved captive cap with turnable closure member, providing an indication when cap is open; (2) Cap as in (1), wherein indication is responsive to turning of the closure member; (3) Cap as in (2) wherein indication is tactual; (4) Cap as in (2) wherein closure member can be removed, as for cleaning, and replaced repeatedly without damage or detriment; (5) Cap as in (2), (3) or (4) wherein closure member employs screw threads in its operation; (6) Cap as above, wherein closure member is pushed to close, twisted to open; (7) Cap as above, wherein indicator also constitutes part of a stop to halt screwing-in of the closure member; (8) Cap as in (5), wherein screw threads provide the tactual indication; (9) Cap as above, wherein stop means tending to halt unscrewing of the closure member constitutes the indicator; (l0) Cap as above, and having multiplicity of indicator means; (11) Cap as above, wherein indicator means also acts to prevent removal of the closure member; and (12) Cap as above, which has few parts, is simple and foolproof in operation, economical to produce, easily molded in plastic (including yieldable plastic materials) easily cleaned, easily understood and operated by the user, is quick and convenient in use, and adaptable to a wide variety of products.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of the present cap, in closed condition.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view like that of FIG. 1 but with the cap in open, dispensing condition.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section on line 44- of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show a closure body member carried by a container 12, the member 10 being tubular and having a discharge bore 14 indicated by dotted lines. At its upper end, the body member ltl has passages 16 formed by a bridging piece 18 which spans the bore 14 (FIG. 2), said bridging piece carrying a closure plug 2t} having a conical top portion 22.

The body member 10 has external screw threads 24 on its lower portion 26 of larger diameter, the upper portion 28 being of reduced diameter and having a smooth cylindrical exterior. The plug has a smooth cylindrical exterior.

The container contents, in being discharged, pass upward through the bore 14 and passages 16, and upward past the exterior of the plug 20.

Cooperable with the body member 10 is a turnable closure member 30 having internal screw threads 32 for engagement with the threads 24 to effect its axial movement. The member 30 has a spout 34 of reduced diameter, including a discharge orifice 36 adapted to be closed by the plug 29 when the parts are in the sealing position of FIG. 1.

Either one or both of the members 10, 30 and the screw threads thereof may be of resilient plastic and readily deformable, whereby from the open or dispensing position of FIG. 3 the closure member 30 may be pushed straight downward (axially), causing the screw threads to be forced laterally past or over each other, this being accompanied by a slight deformation of the parts which results from the interference of the threads with each other. Thus, to close the cap from the FIG. 3 position it is merely necessary to push the closure member 30 straight downward without employing any turning movement whatsoever. However, an alternative procedure is possible, in that the user may just as readily screw downward the closure member 30, thus depending on the engagement between the screw threads 24, 32 to shift the member 30 axially downward to the FIG. 1 sealing position. The reverse turning or unscrewing movement of the closure member 30 will result in the screw threads forcing the closure member 30 axially upward to the open or dispensing position of FIG. 3.

I11 accordance with the present invention, a novel indicator means is provided, by which the user will know when the closure member 30 fully reaches the open, dispensing position as it is being unscrewed. The invention as shown provides several or a multiplicity of such indicators, and also further provides detent and stop arrange ments in conjunction with the indicators, all in an extremely simple, foolproof and economically fabricated construction.

One such indicator means comprises the screw threads 24, 32. themselves. Another and separate indicator means comprises a portion of the bridging piece 13 in conjunction with cooperable stops provided on the interior of the closure member 36. Further, the said bridging piece 18 is additionally utilized in effecting a positive stop for the closure member 36 as the latter is screwed inward, to the sealing position of FIG. 1.

F or the purpose of holding the closure member 30 captive on the body member 10, the bridging piece 18 has end portions 38 which are extended beyond the outer periphery of the reduced-diameter portion 28 of the body member 19. Also, the closure member 30 has an internal annular bead 4!) arranged to engage the end portions 38 of the bridging member when the cap is in the open, dispensing position of FIG. 3. For this position it will be noted that the bead as is positioned to engage the underside of the bridging piece portions 38.

The annular head 40 and the projections 38 are relatively positioned so as to effect interference between end portions of the threads while the internal annular head 40 remains in contact with the underside of the bridging piece portion 38. The resistance to the bead 41 as offered by the portions 38, which prevents the head from being forced upward past said portions, is greater than the interference forces of the engaged thread portions, causing the engaged thread portions to jump over each other when the closure is continually rotated in unscrewing direction. This interference results in a decided tactual sensation being imparted to the fingers of the user as the turning is continued. Such sensation or feel thus signals the user that the closure member 30 is in the fully raised, dispensing position.

Additionally, another and separate indicating means is provided, which tends to constitute a stop as well, for the purpose of restraining continued unscrewing movement of the closure member. Howeven due to the resilience of the molded plastic members 10, 30, this additional indicator means may be readily overcome by the user if he continues to forcibly unscrew the closure member 30. The additional indicator means comprises the end portions 38 of the bridging member 18 and also small projecting lugs or shoulders 42 provided on the interior of the closure member 30, such shoulders being of tapered or wedge shape as seen in FIG. 4.

The closure member 30 is generally of conical configuration, being provided with an annular shoulder 44 intermediate its ends, the spout portion 34 being generally of smaller size or diarnter. Referring to FIG. 4, the engaging faces of the stop shoulders 42 and the end portions 38 travel of the stop shoulders.

of the bridging piece 18 are seen to be somewhat radially disposed, being generally normal to the arcuate path of Even with such squarely abutting disposition of the engaging faces, the shoulders 42 may be forced past the end portion 38 of the bridging piece since the shoulders 42 are not very large or high and are also of yieldable plastic substance. Thus, as the user unscrews the closure member 30, the shoulder 42 will tend to halt (see FIG. 4) the unscrewing movement as soon as the member reaches the fully opened, dispensing position of FIG. 3. The user will then know that he need turn the closure member no further. However, if he should continue to unscrew or turn the closure member with an unscrewing movement, the stop shoulders 42 will merely be forced past the end portions 38 and also the slight interference between the screw threads 24, 32 will be manifest, both such means providing tactual indications which may be readily felt, and also providing a soft clicking sound. The provision of such indicator means eliminates needless unscrewing movement on the part of the user, and constitutes a distinct convenience.

Further, in accordance with the invention, the end portions 38 of the bridging piece 18 are utilized to provide a definite stop when the closure member 30 is screwed inward to the sealing position of FIG. 1. In effecting this, the closure member 30 is provided with additional stop shoulders 46 which are engageable with the end portions 38 as the closure member 30 attains the inwardly screwed sealing position of FIG. 1. Such engagement is illustrated in FIG. 2. The stop shoulders 46 are preferably disposed directly below the annular shoulder 44 of the closure member, and preferably are higher or larger than the shoulders 42 whereby a more positive stopping action is had, resulting in a definite halting of the inward screwing movement of the closure member 30.

The engagement of the internal annular head 40 with the cylindrical surface 28 of the body member 10 provides at these points a continuous leak-resistant seal between the closure member and the body member for all positions of the members, as will be understood.

Due to the yieldable nature of the plastic substance, the user in accordance with the invention may completely remove the closure member 30 for cleaning or other purposes. This is done by merely forcibly axially pulling the member from the body member 26. By the application of moderate to strong force, the beveled sealing head 40 will override the end portions 38 of the bridging piece 18, and permit complete removal of the closure member 30 whereby the separated par-ts may be readily cleaned if desired. Assembly of the parts is effected in a simple manner, by merely pushing the closure member 30 axially onto the body member 10.

It will now be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a novel and improved captive closure cap construction having a number of advantages resulting from the provision of tactual indicator means, and of stop means for both the raised, dispensing position as well as the lowered sealing position of the closure member. Unnecessary duplication of parts is avoided by utilization of certain cap portions for a number of different functions. The cap construction is extremely simple, economical to fabricate, and is espeically foolproof and reliable in its operation as well as easy to understand and operate.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims, and portions of the improvement may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A twist-to-open closure comprising, in combination:

(a) a body member having means for securing the same to the mouth of a container,

(b) said body member including a tubular discharge portion provided with external screw threads,

(c) a closure member carried by said tubular discharge portion and having internal screw threads cooperable 5 with said external threads to enable the closure member when being unscrewed to axially move in an opening direction away from the body member,

(d) cooperable detent means on the closure and body members, limiting said axial opening movement to a predetermined relative position, and

(e) cooperable shoulders on said closure and body members, periodically engaging and forcing past each other when the closure member is continually turned in unscrewing direction, thereby to provide an indication of the Open condition of the closure.

2. A twist-to-open closure as in claim 1, wherein:

(a) the cooperable detent means are yieldable to permit removal of the closure member in response to external overpowering force applied thereto.

3. A twist-to-open closure as in claim 1, wherein:

(a) one of said cooperable shoulders comprises a part of said cooperable detent means,

(b) said cooperable shoulders having engagea-ble surfaces extending in directions substantially normal to the arcuate movement of the shoulder of the closure member.

4. A twist-to-open closure as in claim 3, wherein:

(a) the closure member has an additional shoulder cooperable with the shoulder of the body member to halt the closure member in its screwed-in position.

5. A twist-to-open closure as in claim 1, wherein:

(a) said cooperable shoulders comprise end portions of said external and internal screw threads.

6. A twist-to-open closure as in claim 1, wherein:

(a) one of said cooperable shoulders comprises a part of said cooperable detent means,

(b) said cooperable shoulders having engageable surfaces extending in directions substantially normal to the arcuate movement of the shoulder of the closure member, and

(0) additional cooperable shoulders comprising end portions of. said external and internal screw threads, periodically engaging and forcing past each other when the closure member is continually turned in said unscrewing direction.

7. A twist-to-open closure as in claim 1, wherein:

(a) the cooperable detent means are yieldable but fully resist any forces, caused by engagement of said cooperable shoulders, which tend to move the closure member from the body member,

(b) said detent means yielding to permit said removal of the closure member in response to external overpowering force applied thereto.

8. A twist-to-open closure as in claim 1, wherein:

(a) one of said members and the threads thereof are yieldable to enable the closure member to be forced axially onto the body member by causing both said threads to slip laterally past each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,542,350 2/1951 Paulsen 222499 2,769,582 11/1956 Schlicksupp 222521 X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

S. H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A TWIST-TO-OPEN CLOSURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A BODY MEMBER HAVING MEANS FOR SECURING THE SAME TO THE MOUTH OF A CONTAINER, (B) SAID BODY MEMBER INCLUDING A TUBULAR DISCHARGE PORTION PROVIDED WITH EXTERNAL SCREW THREADS, (C) A CLOSURE MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID TUBULAR DISCHARGE PORTION AND HAVING INTERNAL SCREW THREADS COOPERABLE WITH SAID EXTERNAL THREADS TO ENABLE THE CLOSURE MEMBER WHEN BEING UNSCREWED TO AXIALLY MOVE IN AN OPENING DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE BODY MEMBER, (D) COOPERABLE DETENT MEANS ON THE CLOSURE AND BODY MEMBERS, LIMITING SAID AXIAL OPENING MOVEMENT TO A PREDETERMINED RELATIVE POSITION, AND (E) COOPERABLE SHOULDERS ON SAID CLOSURE AND BODY MEMBERS, PERIODICALLY ENGAGING AND FORCING PAST EACH OTHER WHEN THE CLOSURE MEMBER IS CONTINUALLY TURNED IN UNSCREWING DIRECTION, THEREBY TO PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF THE OPEN CONDITION OF THE CLOSURE. 